Finally the Spurs meet a team with even worse injury problems than them. The absences of Ryan Anderson, Jrue Holiday and Jason Smith deprive the Pelicans of roughly 43 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists per game. They’ve still managed to win 4 of their past 5 behind a string of epic performances from Anthony Davis and improved defense. None of those victories came against winning teams, but it’s still a solid stretch for a team so significantly short-handed.

Where the Pelicans excel

While the Pelicans take among the fewest attempts in the NBA, they at least shoot well (37.8 percent, 4th). They also take care of the ball well (8th in turnover percent) and hit the offensive glass hard, ranking 5th with 15.1 second-chance points per game. The Pelicans have taken advantage of a soft schedule to limit their past five opponents to 95.7 points per 100 possessions, an improvement of more than 10 points from their season average.

Where the Pelicans struggle

Not even a monster defensive season from Davis has prevented the Pelicans from ranking among the league’s worst defensive teams. Their recent stretch notwithstanding, they still rank near the bottom of the league in points/100, opponent field-goal percentage, defensive rebounding and free throws allowed. One of the few things they do well is guard the 3-point line (34.9 opposing pct, 9th). But opponents also shoot 61.2 percent around the rim, 5th-worst.

Key matchup

Using Player Efficiency Rating as a measure, Davis — 27.1, trailing only Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Kevin Love — is having the best season of any 20-year-old in NBA history. The No. 1 pick of the 2012 draft has been especially good over the past 13 games, averaging 23.2 points on 53-percent shooting. Tiago Splitter’s timing and wind might be off after missing 12 games, but his return at least gives the Spurs a full compliment of options to throw at Davis.